Like One of the Family
by Kristen3
Summary: Sequel to carylfan10's "Daphne's Surprise." Niles has an unexpected encounter with David's new kitten and realizes how much animals have changed the Crane family over the years. One-shot.


**Author's Note: **I've been waiting for Melinda (carylfan10) to post "Daphne's Surprise" for a while now. The story was certainly worth the wait, and it had wheels turning pretty quickly. This is what resulted, and I hope it lives up to the original!

Niles knew he couldn't really hate the cat Daphne had brought home. Still, he hoped David would keep his word about taking care of Toby. After all, Daphne worked hard enough as it was, without worrying about filling a water bowl, or worse yet, changing cat litter.

Right now, paperwork was the main thing on Niles' mind. He'd had a very full patient load today, so there were many files that needed updating. David was upstairs, hopefully doing his homework. Daphne was busy doing chores, so Niles hoped he wouldn't have any interruptions. But as he was typing away on his laptop, he began to sense that he was being watched. He looked up, expecting his son to be there asking for help with an assignment. Normally, helping David wasn't a problem. The boy was bright, and his questions were usually out of curiosity, not actual difficulty with the material he was learning.

But the eyes that looked back at Niles were not his son's or even Daphne's. Toby sat in the doorway, staring up at him. For a moment, Niles was transported back in time, remembering Eddie and his habit of staring at Frasier constantly. He sighed, not being in any mood to deal with this at the moment. Realizing that Toby had no intentions of moving, Niles walked over to where he sat. The small kitten watched him intently. "What's David doing? Why aren't you with him?" He bent to pick Toby up.

Doing his best to ignore Toby's attempts to be cute, Niles left his study and walked straight upstairs. He went to the door to David's bedroom and knocked.

"Come in." David's voice could be heard from inside.

Niles entered. "I just had a visitor in my study."

David lay on his bed, reading one of his textbooks. "I'm sorry, Dad. I was studying, and I guess Toby got bored. I'll keep an eye on him from now on." He came over to the door, taking the cat from his father's hands. He then looked at Toby sternly. "We're not supposed to bother Dad when he's working. You have to stay up here."

Something about David's tone made Niles realize that his son was growing up. Although he was still in elementary school, he often showed a maturity that went beyond his years. Niles watched with pride as his son returned to his bed, gently placing Toby near the foot. Niles' frustration at his encounter with Toby faded. He walked into the room. "I'm sorry. I've got a lot of paperwork to take care of. But I can see that you're already taking good care of your new friend here. I can see why you like him so much."

David looked over at Toby, grinning. "He reminds me of Eddie."

Niles nodded. His father's beloved Jack Russell had died about a year ago. The whole family had been devastated. Frasier didn't talk about it much, but Niles could tell even his brother was affected by the loss. "The way Toby stares, he and Eddie could be related." He laughed softly.

"Hey, do you think Grandpa would like to meet Toby?"

"Your grandfather's always been more of a dog person, but I don't see any reason Dad wouldn't get along with Toby. Maybe your mom could bring Toby along next time she does Grandpa's therapy."

David laughed. "I bet Grandpa would be too busy playing to do his therapy!"

"You're probably right."

Just then, Daphne passed by, a basket of laundry in her arms. "What are you two talking about?"

"David was just asking if Dad would like Toby."

"I think it's pretty hard not to like Toby," Daphne said. "Martin has been a bit blue ever since Eddie passed. Maybe I'll see if he'd like to visit the animal shelter where I found Toby. I bet they've got a dog there that he'd like."

Niles watched as Toby stretched out, apparently making himself at home on the end of David's bed. Already the kitten felt like a member of the family. Niles exchanged a glance with Daphne, and he knew they were both thinking of Eddie, and the way he'd been there for Martin after his shooting and as he'd adjusted to life with Frasier.

Yes, an animal had helped bring the Cranes together once before, and perhaps Toby, along with whatever pet Martin happened to choose, would create even more memories for the family in the future.

**The End**


End file.
